On many production programs, the ability to resolve production issues or address manufacturing events in a timely manner is necessary for meeting production schedules. The ability to rapidly resolve a production issue may be dependent on the ability to quickly notify the appropriate personnel of the production issue. For a production program where manufacturing and support operations are located within a single facility, the amount of time required to alert the appropriate personnel may be relatively short. However, many manufacturers of large programs are outsourcing an increasing amount of manufacturing and production work to a variety of different facilities at numerous locations including overseas locations. The increase in outsourcing may result in an increase in the amount of time required to notify appropriate personnel of the occurrence of a manufacturing event so that the event may be addressed and resolved.
Adding to the time required to resolve a production issue is the wide variety of communication systems that may exist at the different facilities. For example, each facility may have their own unique communication system with unique communication protocols and unique security requirements. Furthermore, each facility may have one or more internet security firewalls that block the receipt of messages from outside sources. The different communication protocols and security requirements may not be compatible with the protocols and security requirements of other facilities with the result that an alert that is sent from one facility may not be received by an intended recipient in another facility in a timely manner.
A further drawback associated with conventional communication systems is that a first facility working on a production program may not inform other facilities of changes that may have been implemented in the communication system at the first facility. For example, one facility may expand, upgrade, or alter their communication system without providing notice to other facilities of the changes to the communication system. As a result, personnel at one facility may not receive timely notice of a manufacturing event that may have occurred at another facility. The net result may be an increase in the amount of time required to address and resolve a manufacturing event.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for sending an alert regarding an event to appropriate personnel and wherein the system may be operated without regard to security requirements such as firewalls that may be installed at different facilities. Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for sending an alert which accommodates changes to the communication systems at each facility.